


All That Jazz

by awkwardsausage



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Jazz - Freeform, Karaoke, M/M, Pro Volleyball Player Ushijima Wakatoshi, Semi is emo, Singing, Songfic, Ushijima is just really good at singing jazz, Wingman Tendou Satori, Yamaguchi listens to rock, Yamaguchi works at a karaoke place, ya like jazz?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:01:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27762676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awkwardsausage/pseuds/awkwardsausage
Summary: A chance encounter at a karaoke shop leads Yamaguchi down a spiraling obsession with jazz and maybe, just perhaps, the man singing too.Or: Ushijima is really good at singing jazz.
Relationships: Shiratorizawa Academy Volleyball Club & Ushijima Wakatoshi, Tendou Satori & Ushijima Wakatoshi, Ushijima Wakatoshi/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 7
Kudos: 52





	All That Jazz

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'm back at it again with the ushiyama fics hehe. I wrote this mainly because I love how deep Ushijima's voice is and I just imagined he'd be good at singing jazz lol.
> 
> Before you read this, it's worth noting that I have never been to a karaoke place/booth before in my life and therefore there might be some inaccuracies :P
> 
> That aside, I hope you'll enjoy!

**Moonlight in Vermont**

Yamaguchi sighed as he stared out into the empty street in front of the shop. The night was deathly quiet. Groaning, he ran a hand through his greasy hair before flopping onto the counter, squishing a freckled cheek into the crook of his elbow as he glanced sideways at his watch for the third time that minute. 11:09. To think he would have to stay here in this prison for another hour.

Yamaguchi was working the night shift of a small karaoke shop in a corner of the city. The shop was hard to miss with its blindingly colourful lights in the front and the giant model microphone dangling alongside the sign. Tucked into a shady spot, the shop was never busy aside from the occasional group of high schoolers in the afternoons and the small groups of white-collar workers coming after work to let down their hair in the evening.

Tonight just happened to be especially uneventful.

An abandoned paper cup outside rolled away to freedom and Yamaguchi found himself staring longingly after it. The yellow street lights flickered like dying flames, illuminating the lonely night ahead of him.

Yamaguchi shook his head. He couldn’t believe he was getting jealous of a paper cup. 

Maybe he should listen to something in the meantime. He fiddled with untangling his frayed white earphones before plugging them in, swiping languidly through his playlists and settling on a rock album. The music pounding against his eardrums and Yamaguchi relished in it. Surely his boss wouldn’t mind if he tuned out for a while, right?

The bass rolled through his head, soothing the tension headache stewing at his temples. Yamaguchi had always had an avid love for music, specifically rock music. There was hardly any song of that genre that escaped his enjoyment. Yamaguchi started to get into the beat of the music.

By the time the third track shuffled around, Yamaguchi was grinning almost maniacally, mouthing along to the fast rapping of the singer and drumming his fingers against the counter. The electric guitar sang shrill and he moved his hands to strum at the air, lost in the buzz of the music. Notes climbed higher and higher and Yamaguchi pushed off the chair, rising with the swell of the music as he pumped at the air, the drum solo marking the crescendo and-

“Excuse me?”

Oops.

Yamaguchi was startled out of his performance by a deep voice above him. A man with broad shoulders blinked down at him curiously. Face flushed, Yamaguchi yanked the earbuds from his ears and patted down his uniform. He cursed himself internally for getting too carried away.

“I- uhm- welcome, how can I help you?” Yamaguchi squeaked, clasping his hands together. The man didn’t look fazed by Yamaguchi’s embarrassment and instead lifted his head to squint at the pricing chart above the counter.

“Could I rent a room for… an hour?” The man tilted his head towards Yamaguchi. In a valiant effort to save what remained of his pride, Yamaguchi whipped his head downwards and scrambled to key in the man’s order into the cash register. Beads of sweat rolled down his back as he avoided any eye contact, offering the credit card terminal when the man slid out a sleek-looking card from his wallet.

The silence between them was deafening. Yamaguchi willed for the transaction to move faster but to his horror, a flashing ‘ERROR’ sign appeared. 

“Sorry, there must be something wrong,” Yamaguchi cleared his throat, gesturing for the man to retap his card.

In the end, the man had to retap the card not once, not twice, but _four times_ when the terminal failed to read anything. Yamaguchi wanted to fall to his knees in relief when the successful ‘beep’ sounded.

“Please sign here then proceed to the room on your left. The timer will start as soon as you turn on the monitor, thank you,” Yamaguchi mumbled, sliding the receipt shyly over the counter, offering a pen along with it. The man hummed lowly in acknowledgment before plucking the pen from his hand and signing scratchily at the bottom of the receipt.

Yamaguchi bowed slightly as the man turned and left. 

But as soon as the man had turned down the corridor and out of sight, Yamaguchi slumped back into his chair and groaned. That was possibly the most nerve-wracking payment he had ever had. Not to mention the fact that he had totally embarrassed himself in front of the man earlier. He ruffled his hair vigorously. Stupid!

Stabbing the receipt through the small spiked stand under the counter, Yamaguchi turned to plug in his earphones again when he heard a series of beeps coming from the room. The rooms were supposed to be soundproof. Nothing should have been heard. Had the man forgotten to close the door?

Yamaguchi stuffed his earphones reluctantly into the pocket of his jeans and dragged himself towards the room he had assigned the man. He scuffed his shoes against the grimy floor the whole way.

As Yamaguchi neared, five low beeps sounded out, signalling the start of a track. Yamaguchi pursed his lips. The more courteous thing to do would probably be to wait for after the man was done with his track before getting him to close the door. Turning on his heel, Yamaguchi made to walk back to the counter before hearing the soft opening of the song. His hand stopped midair from pulling his earphones out of his pocket.

Trumpets blared quietly and violin strings carried a soft tune, piquing Yamaguchi’s interest. He hadn’t heard anything like that before. It was kind of like classical music but… different. A harp strummed a shimmering melody and Yamaguchi couldn't help but creep a little closer to the open door to catch a glimpse of the song playing only to be met with the broad expanse of the man’s back. His earphones went back into his pocket.

The man shifted stiffly and lifted the microphone. He started to sing.

“ _Pennies in a stream,”_

Yamaguchi’s breath caught in his throat as the baritone voice floated from the room. The tune reminded him of Christmases in shopping malls, tinny songs blaring from speakers. This was jazz, wasn’t it?

_“Falling leaves a sycamore.”_

His voice swooped low at the last syllable and goosebumps prickled at Yamaguchi’s skin. The pronunciation clearly needed some work but with the smooth, almost silk-like voice, Yamaguchi found himself overlooking that easily. The chord progressions were repetitive but soothing like the warm drag of a caress. Yamaguchi readily leaned into its comfort.

_“Moonlight in Vermont.”_

A cello plucked the bass in the background and Yamaguchi found himself enraptured by the lull of the music. He slid down the wall outside the room, breathing deeply. Was this man a professional singer? He peeped into the room.

_“Icy finger waves,”_

Unlike the fluidity of his voice, the man stood stiff as a board, tapping fingers against his thigh almost awkwardly. Yamaguchi stifled a giggle. Aside from a broad back, the man had olive green hair and wore a white jersey and shorts. Toned leg muscles tensed under tan skin and Yamaguchi tore his gaze away, settling on a bulky gym bag. An athlete?

_“Ski trails on a mountainside,”_

The voice grew louder and warbled a little unstably, yet its mesmerising quality was constant. Yamaguchi had to physically grip onto the door frame to prevent himself from being pulled in by the singing. Every tension in his body had been smoothened out and gently relaxed by the floating music.

_“Snowlight in Vermont.”_

Yamaguchi’s eyes fluttered shut.

“Hey! Where’s the clerk?!” A scratchy, shrill voice screamed from the entrance.

Yamaguchi’s eyes flew right open again as he scrambled back to the counter where a trio of middle-aged women pounded their fists against the counter. Apologising profusely, he booked them a room for an hour and _specifically_ reminding them to shut the door before starting before they sauntered off. Maybe it was a mistake to even have left the counter.

Staring wistfully in the direction of the muted jazz music, Yamaguchi strained his ears to pick up the man’s singing to no avail. Yamaguchi stabbed the ladies’ receipt into the stand in resignation before perking up again. He grinned as he slid out the second receipt from the top, smoothing out the crumpled edges.

There, in scratchy handwriting, lay the mystery man’s name.

Ushijima Wakatoshi.

\-----

**My Way**

After that magical night, Yamaguchi had dug up and downloaded as many good jazz albums he could find. Throughout his shift the next day, he had secretly plugged in and listened to his music, earphone cables hidden up the long sleeves of his shirt.

No matter how many songs he had listened to, Yamaguchi still couldn’t forget the man- Ushijima’s voice. A thread of regret tugged downwards at the corners of his mouth as he remembered just watching the man walk out of the shop when the hour was over. He found his mind wandering back to that small karaoke room where the music reverberated down the corridor and shivered down his spine. 

Yamaguchi huffed. It was a pity there was only a small chance of Ushijima coming back.

But someone up there must have been looking out because, despite that small chance, Ushijima came back.

This time, Yamaguchi was more attentive, sitting up straight when he saw the broad silhouette walk in through the door at a little after eleven. He walked up the counter and Yamaguchi could finally take a good look at his face. He had a sharp jawline and his stare was intense, something Yamaguchi remembered vividly from their first encounter. 

The same gym bag was slung over his shoulder, though now Yamaguchi could make out the form of some sort of ball inside. Soccer? Basketball? The latter wouldn’t be such a bad guess since Ushijima easily loomed over Yamaguchi. Ushijima’s thick eyebrows twitched in what Yamaguchi assumed was surprise at seeing him again before booking another room for an hour, signing the receipt with his left hand. 

That was interesting. Yamaguchi hadn’t noticed that before.

He gave Ushijima a small smile as he accepted back the receipt.

Instead of the room down the corridor like last night, Yamaguchi directed him to the room nearest to the counter. The room was just opposite where Yamaguchi was sitting, not only giving him a clear view of it but also allowing him to hear his singing better. Yamaguchi mentally patted himself on the back for his strategic thinking. Ushijima nodded jerkily and shuffled into the room, leaving the door wide open.

Yamaguchi sat back down and fiddled with his thumbs, watching as Ushijima pressed at the monitor. What song would he choose today?

Ushijima’s back retreated from the screen and he grasped the microphone. Five beeps slow beats counted down. Yamaguchi leaned forward in his seat. A melancholic melody began and Yamaguchi pulled up the lyrics on his phone, a thrum of excitement in his veins. Ushijima began.

" _And now, the end is near_

_And so I face the final curtain.”_

Yamaguchi let out a shaky exhale as a grin split across his face. The air around him sweetened, voice flowing like honey. That was the voice that haunted him.

_“My friends, I'll say it clear_

_I'll state my case of which I'm certain_

_I've lived a life that's full_

_I travelled each and every highway.”_

Yamaguchi found himself mouthing the words, swaying slightly with the heavy notes. Ushijima was still stiff as ever, both hands clasping the microphone, shifting his weight randomly from one foot the other. It was almost funny how the person singing was so much less relaxed than the person listening.

_"And more, much more than this_

_I did it my way.”_

Ushijima sang through the song, occasionally glancing over to the gym bag on the seat which Yamaguchi now realised was propped up vertically, tambourine set neatly next to it. Sort of like a person. 

Was Ushijima singing to the gym bag? 

As soon as the thought occurred to him, Yamaguchi let out a bark of laughter, a dissonant interruption to the music. Ushijima glanced back.

They made eye contact for a split second before it hit Yamaguchi that he had been caught. The smile slid off his face comically fast and he ducked under the table, face burning. 

Why did he always have to embarrass himself?

He had been in the midst of berating himself when the music ground to an abrupt halt. Yamaguchi stopped breathing for a horrifying second. The only audible thing now was the rush of blood through his ears as he peeked over the counter… only to be met with the cold white surface of the door.

Ushijima had closed it.

Yamaguchi frowned, gripping the edge of the counter as he hoisted himself upright. Had Ushijima become self-conscious? His gut churned at the idea that his laugh had made Ushijima second-guess himself.

After all, there was no need to when his voice sounded like _that_.

For the rest of the excruciatingly slow hour, Yamaguchi had plugged in his phone again, taking only a few thousand _occasional_ glances at the closed door. Should he apologise later? Should he just leave Ushijima alone? 

But what if he never saw Ushijima again?

The door eventually creaked open and Yamaguchi perked up, every frantic question he had vanishing instantly. Ushijima had his bag slung over his left shoulder and was turning to leave, not sparing a second glance to the clerk. Yamaguchi panicked. He still had to make things right.

“Wait!”

The words escaped Yamaguchi’s mouth before he even knew it. His chair had fallen over in his desperation to catch Ushijima’s attention.

He succeeded. Ushijima halted in his exit, turning to look at Yamaguchi with a curious yet sharp gaze. With Yamaguchi standing up, he could now better appreciate Ushijima’s sheer height, having to tilt his head upwards to face him.

Ushijima blinked solemnly.

“I didn’t mean to laugh! It wasn’t really at you, per se, because I- I think your singing is really good!” Yamaguchi managed to wrangle out. 

Pathetic apology aside, ‘good’ didn’t quite encapsulate what Yamaguchi actually thought about his music. ‘Amazing’, ‘spectacular’, ‘literally the most angelic thing I’ve ever heard oh my God please don’t stop singing’ was more like it but he didn’t want to come across as a weird stalker or something.

Ushijima processed the words silently, turning to fully face Yamaguchi.

“You were listening?” Ushijima’s speaking voice was just as deep and rich as his singing voice. Yamaguchi’s breath caught in his throat as he nodded.

“And you really think so?” Yamaguchi looked away and nodded shyly.

“Yeah.”

Ushijima stared silently at him before nodding to himself slowly.

“Thank you...” Ushijima’s eyes dropped to Yamaguchi’s chest, causing a small flush to rise to Yamaguchi’s cheeks. “...Yamaguchi Tadashi.”

Yamaguchi’s gaze snapped to the small tag pinned to the left of his chest. He had totally forgotten about that.

And why did he get all flustered about that?

Yamaguchi smiled as Ushijima tipped his head and left, watching as his back disappeared into the distance. He sat back into his chair and scrubbed at his face, checking his watch. 12:10.

Yamaguchi concluded that he was just tired.

\-----

**Fly Me To The Moon**

Ushijima came back the next night and the door stayed open.

When Ushijima dropped by the counter earlier, Yamaguchi had been greeted by a friendly tip of the head before Ushijima made his payment. Yamaguchi returned the gesture with a grin of his own, his chest blooming with warmth at Ushijima’s acknowledgement.

Instead of waiting for Yamaguchi to direct him to a room like before, Ushijima made a beeline towards the room from the previous night, the one nearest the counter. Yamaguchi found the grin lingering on his face.

Yamaguchi’s earphones were already tucked securely in his pocket by the time Ushijima booted up the monitor and started shuffling through songs. 

And now, Yamaguchi leaned his cheek against his hand, eyes sliding shut as the five beeps counted down once again. A syncopated cello rhythm started and Yamaguchi smiled against the back of his hand.

_“Fly me to the moon_

_Let me play among the stars_

_And let me see what spring is like_

_On Jupiter and Mars.”_

Ushijima’s voice almost seemed louder today. Either Ushijima was feeling extra confident today or Yamaguchi had missed his voice more than he had thought.

_“In other words, hold my hand_

_In other words, baby, kiss me.”_

Despite knowing the lyrics to the entire song, Yamaguchi was caught wildly off guard. His cheeks grew hot as the words rolled off Ushijima’s tongue, sweet sounding and cheesy. Yamaguchi spluttered, ducking yet again behind the counter to catch his breath.

What was up with him?

Yamaguchi noticed belatedly that the singing had stopped but was comforted by the face that he could still hear the backing track loud and clear. He peeked back over the counter.

Surprisingly, Ushijima was looking back at him with a concerned look. If that’s what the small crease between his eyebrows meant. Yamaguchi covered his reddened face with one hand and gave Ushijima a thumbs up. Ushijima nodded resolutely and turned back to the screen, body ramrod straight as he belted out lyrics of love and affection.

Seeing Ushijima’s posture was enough to divert his attention, sparking a mental image of Ushijima’s serious expression. Yamaguchi didn’t have to look to guess that the exact expression was etched onto his face at the very moment. He tried not to laugh this time.

Any remaining flustered feelings squashed, Yamaguchi focussed on the enrapturing quality of Ushijima’s voice, ignoring the lyrics and listening to the rich sound that had caught him to begin with.

And just like that an entire hour had passed.

However, instead of just leaving like the first two days, Ushijima had boldly walked up to the counter and leaned over it, gaze pinning Yamaguchi to his seat.

“Yamaguchi Tadashi, how was my singing today?”

Yamaguchi sat stunned, first by the fact that Ushijima was speaking to him at all and second by the realisation that Ushijima had been singing _for him_. He gripped the edges of the chair and willed himself not to pass out from nervousness.

“It was great! Like really great! But uh- um-”

“You can be honest, I am very much open to feedback, Yamaguchi Tadashi.”

Yamaguchi ignored the nice way his name rolled from Ushijima’s mouth and chose his words carefully, gauging Ushijima’s reaction.

“I mean no offense but, how do you sing something so _cheesy…_ so stiffly?” Yamaguchi squeaked, knowing that later he would be slapping himself for his lame reply. Ushijima didn’t seem to mind.

“Stiffly?”

Ushijima looked a little confused as Yamaguchi demonstrated, mustering the most serious face he could offer. A frown folded itself between Ushijima’s brows.

“That is how my face looks naturally, Yamaguchi Tadashi.”

Ushijima’s bluntness was like a slap of cold water. Unexpected but incredibly refreshing. While Ushijima clearly didn’t get what Yamaguchi was saying, Yamaguchi found his awkwardness awfully _endearing_. Yamaguchi couldn’t hide the grin spreading across his face. The frown on Ushijima’s face creased just a bit more.

“You seem to be amused very easily, Yamaguchi Tadashi.”

“Sorry!” Yamaguchi yelped, righting his expression. Ushijima waited for him to continue. “I just meant to say maybe you should be more relaxed when you sing. Isn’t that what karaoke is for? To loosen up and relax and have fun?”

“I see,” Ushijima rubbed his chin as if he had never thought of relaxing at an entertainment facility. “That is a perspective I have not considered.”

Ushijima shuffled slightly, rubbing a thumb against the strap of his gym bag. He looked almost shy as he asked, “...But how should I go about doing so, Yamaguchi Tadashi?”

In an instant, Ushijima had gone from intimidatingly mysterious to dorkily shy and Yamaguchi was left reeling at the whiplash.

“Just Yamaguchi is fine,” Yamaguchi insisted, less nervous than before after the brief personality switch. He looked at Ushijima and planted two fingers into his cheeks.

“And you could try to smile, for starters,” Yamaguchi said, grinning widely.

Ushijima blinked before following suit, index fingers digging into his cheekbones as he bared his teeth in a forced smile. 

It looked like he was in genuine pain. 

So being an apparent sadist, Yamaguchi burst into a round of laughter. The look on Ushijima’s face had been too hilarious to bear. Snorting ugly chortles and slapping at the counter, Yamaguchi had been so busy controlling his chuckles that he didn’t notice Ushijima slowly relax in front of him, the space between his eyebrows smoothening out.

When the laughs stopped coming and Yamaguchi halted his abuse on the table, he found Ushijima leaning casually against the counter, gaze a little less sharp.

“There you go,” Yamaguchi gave him a thumbs up. Ushijima’s eyes seemed to snap back into focus, his expression guarded once again as if he hadn’t been expecting Yamaguchi to notice. 

It almost looked as if he was a little surprised himself.

He looked as if he had something else to say before his watch beeped. He glanced down at it before looking back at Yamaguchi apologetically.

“Thank you for your advice, Yamaguchi. But it is getting late and I shall be taking my leave. See you tomorrow,” With a tip of the head, Ushijima bid his farewell. Yamaguchi waved weakly in response, seeing the silhouette fade down the street.

Only one thought buzzed through his head as he sank down into his seat.

Ushijima was coming back tomorrow.

\-----

**I Get A Kick Out Of You**

Ushijima had been coming for four consecutive nights at this point and Yamaguchi was starting to get a little curious.

Not that he was complaining, of course. Ushijima and his amazing singing were always welcome.

But Ushijima always came wearing the same attire with that gym bag and only after 11. Plus he was always coming alone, never in groups like the usual customers despite mentioning he had teammates. Yamaguchi drummed his fingers against his thigh, analysing the information he had.

Ushijima was an athlete who did some sort of team ball sport but probably one where being tall was an advantage and also maybe being a left-hander which hopefully ruled out soccer and the sport probably needed to use their hands a lot since Ushijima’s hands seemed kind of rough and also he probably wasn’t married because he didn’t have a wedding ring which meant he was single and Yamaguchi could-

Yamaguchi slammed on the brakes and violently hurled his train of thought onto another track.

\- and Yamaguchi could maybe ask him later. 

Then again, it was easier said than done, considering Yamaguchi was 99% sure he would back out before Ushijima even left the room and the man himself seemed like the strong, silent type. Neither question nor answer would come easily. Whatever happened yesterday _had_ to be some sort of fluke.

Yet Yamaguchi fervently hoped at least a little luck would carry over today too.

Ushijima dropped by a little later than usual but Yamaguchi was still in good spirits. Yamaguchi was greeted with a generous wave of the hand as Ushijima settled into the same room. The warm feeling settled in his chest again. There was no scrolling through the catalogue this time, Ushijima having searched for a specific song. 

Yamaguchi shifted in his seat. This ought to be interesting.

And interesting it was. 

As Yamaguchi waited with bated breath with the countdown of the song, Ushijima proceeded to push his vertical gym bag over and turn to his new audience at the last beat. Yamaguchi gaped as he came face-to-face with a strained smile.

His brain lagged so hard processing this new change that he missed the entire first stanza of whatever song Ushijima had picked.

When he had finally rebooted, his ears immediately zeroed in on the start of the second stanza.

_“I get no kick from champagne_

_Mere alcohol doesn't thrill me at all_

_So tell me why should it be true_

_That I get a kick out of you.”_

It was a jolly swing beat this time, a strong cello beat leading the bass and the rattling snare of a drum keeping beat with it, accentuating the ‘kick’. And of course not forgetting the occasional blare of trumpets and trombone and languid drags of violin strings.

_“Some, they may go for cocaine_

_I'm sure that if I took even one sniff_

_It would bore me terrifically, too_

_Yet I get a kick out of you.”_

Yamaguchi’s leg bounced with the beat as he watched Ushijima attempting to be more relaxed, bopping a little with the music. While the attempt was a good one, Ushijima was still clearly stressed over it, frowning every time he accidentally dropped his fake smile. Ideas rattled through Yamaguchi’s head like a bingo wheel. He needed to help Ushijima get more relaxed.

In a more natural way.

A distant memory of an embarrassing first encounter won the winning lotto and Yamaguchi jolted up. If Ushijima was more focussed on something other than trying to relax, there was a chance he could actually relax properly. Yamaguchi prayed it would work.

Visible confusion grew in Ushijima’s eyes as Yamaguchi started bobbing more aggressively, borderline headbanging.

_“I get a kick every time I see you_

_Standing there before me_

_I get a kick though it's clear to see_

_You obviously don't adore me.”_

Yamaguchi closed my eyes and immersed himself in the music yet again. He felt cool brass in his hands as the sound billowed around him. His fingers pressed out nonsense notes on his air trumpet, then switched to pulling sounds from his trombone. The next stanza had a hint of a smile in it and Yamaguchi knew he had succeeded in his distraction.

A smile touched his own lips too.

_“I get no kick in a plane_

_Flyin' too high with some gal in the sky is my idea of nothing to do_

_Yet I get a kick_

_You give me a boot_

_I get a kick out of you.”_

In the jazz break, he imagined Ushijima in a crisp 3-piece suit and a fedora, gripping onto a standing microphone. Yellow lights lighted the set, giving the setting an old sepia glow. Yamaguchi watched Ushijima belt the last stanza, hand tipping the end of the fedora. 

The musicians around him pushed him about with their music, jostling him with spiking dynamics. A particularly hard trumpet blasted him to centre stage and Ushijima turned to look at him, a soft and genuine smile on his face.

The same expression greeted him when he pried open his eyes at the end of the song. He was aware he was panting and sweating but the look on Ushijima’s face was all worth it. Yamaguchi’s face flushed.

“Were you trying to act out an entire jazz band, Yamaguchi?” Ushijima rumbled jokingly. Yamaguchi swept the fringe from his face, taking a deep breath to calm the racing of his heart that he was sure wasn’t just from the workout earlier.

“You could say that,” Yamaguchi shrugged.

Yamaguchi may have made a fool of himself for that few minutes but Ushijima was gleefully relaxed for the rest of the night. The songs he sang today held much more emotion than the previous nights, almost as if there was some new hidden meaning behind every song Ushijima picked.

By the end of the night, Yamaguchi was applauding him with a standing ovation, cheeks red from the exhilaration. Ushijima collapsed on the couch with an exhale, cocking his head towards Yamaguchi.

“Thank you for teaching me how to relax, Yamaguchi. Singing when relaxed is admittedly more fun than I had expected.”

Yamaguchi waved a hand, reclining into his own chair at the counter. “There’s no need to thank me. I’m just glad you’re having more fun instead of looking like you were forced into a performance.”

“Truthfully, that is what I had assumed it was. My volleyball teammates had pressured me into going so I thought it would be good to familiarise myself with the experience before going for the outing.”

Yamaguchi ticked a few questions off his list. That explained a few things.

“So you basically came here… to practice?”

“Pretty much. It is said that practice makes perfect.”

Yamaguchi hiccuped out a giggle and Ushijima hummed in response. The atmosphere was warm as they talked a bit more before Ushijima had to leave.

And as Ushijima ducked out of the shop on his way out, Yamaguchi swore he caught a glimpse of a smile.

\-----

**I've Got A Crush On You**

“Why don’t you choose this time?”

Yamaguchi’s eyes widened at Ushijima’s proposal. It was nearing the end of Ushijima’s nightly karaoke practice and Yamaguchi had been content with watching and cheering Ushijima on from his small counter. Yamaguchi shot up like a rocket.

“Really?” Ushijima shrugged, pointing an open palm to the monitor in invitation. Yamaguchi beamed, scrambling from his chair.

A thrill of excitement flowed through Yamaguchi’s body as he slid past the counter and stepped into the room. He had fantasised about Ushijima singing to his rock songs too, embarrassing as it may have been, but there was no denying that this was a golden opportunity. Ushijima would sing a song of _his_ choice. Band names tumbled around in his overheating brain. He imagined Ushijima rattling out a particularly fast rap or Ushijima screaming into the microphone or-

Two eyes bored into his back as he leaned over the monitor and all of a sudden his face felt hot. He had almost forgotten Ushijima was physically there. What kind of songs should he even choose? What if Ushijima was uncomfortable with rock songs? Would Ushijima judge him?

He pretended to scroll through the jazz albums as he battled himself internally, his thoughts descending into wild screaming and internal hyperventilation.

“Yamaguchi?”

Panicked, Yamaguchi jerked and pressed randomly at a song appearing on the screen before scooting backward like the screen was on fire. He grinned sheepishly at Ushijima, presenting the song semi-proudly. Ushijima looked stunned at Yamaguchi’s flighty reaction before turning his eyes to the screen, regarding the song for a beat.

“...Interesting selection.”

For a split second, Yamaguchi took it as a compliment, relieved that Ushijima was somewhat impressed with his song choice.

Then he glanced at the song name and his face simultaneously paled and reddened. 

Any image of Ushijima singing had been immediately replaced with a thousand and one ways to disappear from the face of the earth.

Ushijima cleared his throat and picked up the microphone, locking eyes with Yamaguchi through his internal panic. Yamaguchi’s heart gave the lightest thump when the faintest powder dusting of red appeared on Ushijima’s cheeks. Ushijima closed his eyes and took a deep breath, tension bleeding from his body like he had done the day before.

When Ushijima reopened his eyes, Yamaguchi could see a burning determination in his eyes, searing but warm.

“This one is for you, Yamaguchi.”

Yamaguchi’s heart abandoned its attempted escape from his ribcage and jumped to his throat.

_“How glad the many millions of Annabelles and Lillians_

_Would be to capture me_

_But you had such persistence, you wore down my resistance_

_I fell and it was swell.”_

The song was undeniably romantic, as inferred from the title itself, and Yamaguchi was only a few stanzas away from bursting into flame. Ushijima was oddly relaxed and his face held that soft expression from the day before. There was even a bit of a teasing lilt as he sang.

_“I'm your big and brave and handsome Romeo_

_How I won you I shall never never know_

_It's not that I’m attractive_

_But, oh, my heart grew active_

_When you came into view.”_

Yamaguchi wanted to both swoon and bang his head against a wall. Ushijima had no right looking that earnest and open when singing something so cliché. And yet Yamaguchi couldn’t bring himself to tear his eyes from Ushijima’s magnetic stare. Something else crossed his expression as he shifted with the microphone, taking a little half step towards Yamaguchi that felt like he had crossed the entire room. 

_“I've got a crush on you, sweetie pie_

_All the day and night-time hear me sigh.”_

Yamaguchi now understood the appeal of being serenaded. Time slowed like molasses around them and Yamaguchi was vaguely aware of the heat flooding through his body. Ushijima continued to hold his gaze.

_“I never had the least notion that_

_I could fall with so much emotion.”_

Yamaguchi was starting to realise that he related to the song more than he thought.

_“Could you coo, could you care_

_For a cunning cottage we could share_

_The world will pardon my mush_

_'Cause I have got a crush on you.”_

Ushijima repeated the final stanza before the song faded to an end. The air between them buzzed with tension that neither of them wanted to address, nervous energy crackling at the tips of Yamaguchi’s fingers. Yamaguchi just hoped he wasn’t gaping. Ushijima continued to stare, mouth cracking open just a sliver to say something-

The monitor shut down just as the hour ended and they snapped out of the tiny bubble they had been stuck in. The reality of what had just happened hit Yamaguchi with the force of a speeding car and he laughed almost maniacally to burn off his embarrassment.

“Well, I guess your time is up.”

Ushijima wilted just a bit before becoming seemingly invigorated again.

“Yamaguchi.”

Yamaguchi startled, heat rising to his cheeks as Ushijima stepped a little closer, nearly caging Yamaguchi against the wall of the room. He leaned down, agonisingly slow as Yamaguchi briefly wondered if he had remembered to brush his teeth and slathered on his chapstick. He mentally prepared himself for the inevitable-

“Would you like to join our karaoke session tomorrow?”

Ushijima only blinked excitedly in response to Yamaguchi’s fluster.

Yamaguchi sighed almost disappointedly.

But how could he say no?

\-----

**The Way You Look Tonight (and other songs)**

Yamaguchi played with the ends of his bag straps as he waited outside the karaoke place he was supposed to meet Ushijima and his friends at.

It was a lot more flashy than the rundown place he was used to, lights a little brighter and floor a little cleaner but that didn’t really matter at the moment. What _did_ matter was that he had arrived a full 20 minutes early and was, so far, the only one there. And what made that worse was Ushijima hadn’t given any description of his teammates and Yamaguchi didn’t know anything about them.

So when a man with gravity-defying bright red hair clasped a hand on his shoulder and greeted him with his name that he _definitely didn’t remember giving anyone_ , Yamaguchi very nearly screamed.

“Woah, calm down. You _are_ Yamaguchi, right? Wakatoshi’s… friend Yamaguchi Tadashi?”

Yamaguchi let out a sigh of relief and nodded, extending a hand in greeting. The quirky man grinned, shaking Yamaguchi’s hand wildly. Yamaguchi felt every bone in his body rattle with the handshake.

“I’m Tendou Satori, Ushijima’s teammate and best friend. You can call me Tendou!”

“N-Nice to meet you, Tendou!”

“Now, now, stop harassing Ushijima’s friend,” Another voice called out. Yamaguchi turned to find a dark-skinned man striding towards them. He looked a little more friendly and gentle. Reon Ohira, Yamaguchi later found out.

Shortly after, the man of the hour arrived, Tendou rushing up to greet him. Yamaguchi tightened his grip around the bag straps as Ushijima greeted his other teammates, enquired about the others and stopped to greet another arriving teammate, a Shirabu Kenjirou with light coloured hair. 

Then he finally turned to Yamaguchi, eyes glinting.

“I’m glad you were able to make it, Yamaguchi.”

Yamaguchi felt heat rush to his cheeks as he smiled.

“Me too.”

After a quick attendance taking and headcount of eight total, they headed into the room and crammed themselves into the long couch curling across the room in a squarish U-shape. Goshiki fiddled with the monitor, seated at the first end of the couch while Kawanishi and Shirabu chatted next to him. The couch bent towards the right, seating Semi, Reon and Tendou in order before bending another right, finding Yamaguchi right at the end, squished against Ushijima.

The firm contact sparked flutters in his stomach as he tried his best to look interested in Tendou’s rendition of a story from a manga he had never heard of before.

“Are you comfortable? You seem to be fidgeting quite a bit.”

Yamaguchi jumped at Ushijima’s sudden question and nodded quickly.

“Yeah, I am. Just a bit excited that’s all. I’ve never really gone out with so many people like this before, just one or two at most,” Yamaguchi knotted his fingers together. Ushijima nodded in understanding.

“Oh? Wakatoshi, do introduce us to your friend! We’re dying to know about the person you’ve been talking about for the past few days,” Tendou pursed his lips, a teasing glint in his eye. Everyone’s gazes snapped to Yamaguchi. Ushijima sent Tendou a flat look.

“This is Yamaguchi Tadashi. He worked at the karaoke shop I frequented and aided me in my singing practice.”

Yamaguchi waved and bowed.

“Thank you for having me!” His voice cracked towards the end and he winced. Reon laughed it off.

“You don’t have to be so nervous here. We’re quite friendly.”

Yamaguchi’s reply was cut off by Goshiki announcing that he called dibs on the first song, leaning over Kawanishi’s lap and snatching one of the three microphones.

Ushijima gave Yamaguchi a reassuring look.

Yamaguchi ignored Tendou’s knowing gaze over Ushijima’s shoulder and shot a shaky thumbs-up back.

This would be one long night.

\-----

They had cycled through various songs by the time the first hour flew by, Goshiki having started off with a particularly moving ballad followed by Tendou with a series of anime opening Yamaguchi could vaguely hum to. Kawanishi had been dragged to perform a duet with Shirabu on a pop song but it wasn’t until Semi busted out a song with a particularly intense electric guitar riff that Yamaguchi got excited.

Before he knew it he had been singing along and whooping with the others.

When Semi caught his eye, he gave a devilish smirk, inviting him up. Yamaguchi was off his seat in mere seconds. Another familiar song rolled on and Yamaguchi gasped at Semi in surprise when a heavy drum rhythm started playing.

He had good taste.

_“On one lonely night_

_Drenched in rain_

_Oh what can I see?”_

Semi started out, growling into the microphone. The audience whooped and clapped along and Yamaguchi giggled, getting ready for the next part.

_“And you wander about_

_Feel the pain_

_You know how far we came from home?”_

Yamaguchi clapped on the microphone, eyes shut and feeling the music. Semi whooped next to him and he heard a shout from Tendou somewhere. He didn’t even need to look at the lyrics to sing this one.

_“Who'll let you know_

_If I'm safe_

_It's not what I see_

_I have never heard life's always hard_

_Go wrong, it's alright.”_

Semi continued, voice scratchy but surprisingly fitting for the rough tone of the song. Yamaguchi smiled wider, wrenching his eyes open in excitement. Coloured lights beamed across the room as Ushijima’s teammates clapped from side to side, occasionally cheering them on.

Ushijima, on the other hand, looked almost shell-shocked.

His eyes were widened just a fraction and if Yamaguchi were to be generous with his description, the small gap between his lips might as well be full-on gaping at his performance. Ushijima wasn’t even clapping on-beat anymore. Yamaguchi grinned impossibly wider.

He locked eyes with Ushijima and sang.

_“Don't be shy whenever you want something_

_What you waiting for?_

_Find your door_

_Gotta hold your own and stay don't run away_

_When you show-”_

_“-will to live there's no way you-”_ Semi chimed in.

_“-will lose it after finding that "anything"_

_'Cause life is full of points you score-"_ Yamaguchi sang.

_“-You'll see, brighter days coming_

_All the nights becoming day_

_On your mark!”_

Semi finished the stanza, running his hand through his hair. Yamaguchi pumped his fists with every drum kick. Ushijima started clapping more vigorously, eyes never leaving Yamaguchi’s form. Luckily Yamaguchi had been too busy playing air drum to notice Tendou give a grounding smack to the back of Ushijima’s head.

Semi and Yamaguchi delivered a powerful duet, grating their throats during the screamo part. It had caught everyone by surprise, sending a collective flinch rippling into the audience. By the end of the song, Semi and Yamaguchi were sweating profusely and high-fiving, Yamaguchi laughing in between pants as he settled back next to Ushijima. Goshiki had an awed look on his face as Tendou whistled.

“I didn’t know you had it in you, Freckles! I mean Semisemi is the living definition of emo rock but you? You look like you listen to Disney songs on a daily basis!”

Semi reached over to punch Tendou as Yamaguchi smiled sheepishly, looking away when everyone around the table nodded in agreement.

“You sing very nicely,” Ushijima mumbled. Yamaguchi’s shoulders shot up to his ears. He had been hoping Ushijima wouldn’t comment on that performance. That and no one had really commended his voice before. Personally, he thought that his voice was pretty plain but hearing Ushijima say that gave him just a slight shot of confidence. He pursed his lips.

“Well, so did Semi! It’s fun doing a duet,” Yamaguchi shrugged, tucking a sweaty strand of hair behind his ear. Ushijima perked up.

“Shall _we_ sing a duet, then?”

Time seemed to stop for Yamaguchi.

“Duet! Duet!” Everyone in the room had started chanting, the noise climbing louder and Ushijima wouldn’t stop _staring_. Yamaguchi felt his body thrum with anxiety as he opened his mouth to refuse.

But one look at Ushijima’s earnest expression and the words died in his throat. Sighing, Yamaguchi was reluctantly grabbing the microphone again.

Instead of the earlier excitement, Yamaguchi now felt a sense of dread fill his body. He tightened his vice-like grip on the microphone. Oh God, what was he thinking? All this time he had only been listening to Ushijima and other jazz albums and now he was supposed to sing it on his own. What if his voice sounded bad singing jazz? What if he ruined the song? What if Ushijima was disappointed? Any confidence he had gone down the drain in a flash.

Then he felt a nudge against his shoulder.

His gaze snapped to Ushijima and he watched as he raised two fingers and pushed them into his cheeks.

“Loosen up, Yamaguchi.”

Yamaguchi took in the soft smile on Ushijima’s face and a smile quickly spread on his own.

Right, Ushijima was going to be with him.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.

The song started with a moderate blowing of the trumpets and an ambling swing. Ushijima lifted the microphone to his lips.

_“Someday, when I'm awfully low_

_When the world is cold_

_I will feel a glow just thinking of you_

_And the way you look tonight.”_

Yamaguchi knew for sure that his entire face was red but with the way the audience's jaws dropped at Ushijima’s voice, he knew no one would notice. Even Tendou looked awed by Ushijima’s singing and something akin to pride curled under Yamaguchi’s skin at seeing how relaxed Ushijima was.

A selfish satisfaction buzzed at the back of his head when he realised that he was probably the first person to have heard Ushijima’s melodic voice.

Angling his gaze at Ushijima, Yamaguchi took a deep breath and sang.

_“Yes, you're lovely, with your smile so warm_

_And your cheeks so soft_

_There is nothing for me but to love you_

_And the way you look tonight.”_

Yamaguchi was playing with the hem of his shirt as he sang the words as sweetly as possible. He was sure his voice was close to cracking but once he saw Ushijima swaying by the hips, he picked up the melody with a giggle. Ushijima’s teammates were cooing and swaying along, hands in the air.

Reon cocked his head pointedly towards Ushijima, grinning widely. 

Puzzled, Yamaguchi glanced back over to see Ushijima looking right back. His olive eyes glittered with mirth as Yamaguchi brought the microphone back up, directing the next words at him.

_“With each word your tenderness grows_

_Tearin' my fear apart.”_

Yamaguchi held the last note, exaggerating the effort it took with a heaving chest. Chuckles swept across the room but only one sound made his breath catch. A deep rumbling came from his right and Yamaguchi’s eyes widened.

_“And that laugh, wrinkles your nose_

_Touches my foolish heart.”_

Ushijima continued, laughing openly for the first time. It was a rolling melody of mellow sounds, each ‘ha’ sound distinct and rich. Ushijima had doubled over just the slightest and from where Yamaguchi stood, he could see just the slightest indent of a dimple at the corner of his mouth. 

Yamaguchi had been so captivated by the sight that he had nearly missed the cue for the next stanza. He scrambled to catch up and hoped he didn’t look that obvious.

Everyone seated shared a look.

_“Lovely, don't you ever change_

_Keep that breathless charm_

_Won't you please arrange it?_

_'Cause I love you-”_

_“Just the way you look tonight.”_

Both Ushijima and Yamaguchi finished the last sentence, out of breath but for completely different reasons. Soon, Ushijima had come down from the high of his outward display of amusement and ushered Yamaguchi back to his seat with a less-than-subtle sweep of the arm around his shoulders.

The whole team clapped for them and Yamaguchi beamed back, offering a shy high five to Ushijima. Ushijima’s eyes sparkled in the disco lights of the room as he accepted it.

No one mentioned when their hands lingered a little longer than they should have.

\-----

After exchanging song playlists with Semi, Yamaguchi waved goodbye to the majority of the team as they shuffled off into the night, leaving Yamaguchi and Ushijima alone. It was obvious Ushijima had intentionally lingered behind and the team had gladly left them to talk about whatever the weird tension between them was.

But talking seemed like the last thing they were going to do.

Ushijima’s hand had migrated to the back of his neck and Yamaguchi was hyper-focused on a small dirt smear on his left sneaker. Neither of them seemed to want to make the first move. A silent minute passed before Ushijima gave in.

“Yamaguchi.”

Yamaguchi looked up, heart thudding in anticipation. Ushijima took in a deep breath, his stoic look back on his face. In fact, the look could have been the most serious face Yamaguchi had ever seen. Yamaguchi swallowed. The suspense was killing him.

Ushijima spoke.

“Yamaguchi, I’m feeling _jazzed up_ tonight, so how about a date?”

Yamaguchi blinked.

Then the chortles came.

The next thing Yamaguchi knew, he was bent over and pounding at his thigh, eyes watering with tears as he guffawed. Even Ushijima offered a few silent shakes of the shoulders with low laughter.

“Tendou convinced me to tell it to you. He said it would work,” Ushijima scratched his head bashfully. Yamaguchi’s heart nearly stopped fully at the charm of that gesture. 

Having had enough of waiting, Yamaguchi stepped forward and brushed his lips against Ushijima’s cheek in a feather-light kiss. He retracted quickly.

“Then I guess you can tell him that it worked pretty well,” Yamaguchi cocked a hip, smirking.

Ushijima was rendered speechless for so long that Yamaguchi started to get concerned. Then two hands were shooting out, grabbing Yamaguchi by the shoulders. His deadly serious expression was back but it was hard to keep a straight face when there was a clear flush over the bridge of Ushijima's nose.

“Yamaguchi, how cliché would it be if I asked for another karaoke date next Friday?”

Yamaguchi smiled, placing a hand each over Ushijima’s.

“Very.”

**Author's Note:**

> Ushijima: Come to think of it, I’ve never formally introduced myself. How did you know my name?  
> Yamaguchi: * sweats profusely *
> 
> Full List of Songs Used:  
> Moonlight in Vermont  
> My Way  
> Fly Me To The Moon  
> I Get A Kick Out Of You  
> I’ve Got A Crush On You  
> Juvenile by ONE OK ROCK  
> The Way You Look Tonight
> 
> There are many different recordings of the above songs (aside from the one from ONE OK ROCK) by different artists so feel free to check them all out :D
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
